In Motion
by Monna Sakura
Summary: A series of three drabbles inspired by Orochimaru's line in chapter 116 of the manga, I enjoy watching things in motion.
1. Ready

I don't even have the desire to own rights to Naruto. Too much paperwork.

"In Motion"

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It was dark in the room, the only source of light filtering in through gauzy curtains from street-lamps outside. The scant, watery yellow light pushed shadows to waver uncertainly against the far wall. The shadows from the bars of the crib at the room's center gave the blue tinted walls a caged, prisonesque feel.

The crib's tiny occupant stirred under a soft gray blanket, blinking himself into wakefulness. Dark, sharply almond shaped eyes stared up from behind thick black hair at the unmoving mobile dangling overhead. It was still, having long since finished it's last rotation for the night.

A small hand squirmed clumsily out from under the covers. The infant waved it searchingly out to the side until it landed on the large button that would start the mobile moving again. Around it spun, slowly, picking up speed as it went.

The dark eyes were riveted to the spinning figurines making up the mobile. Horse, Tiger, Boar, Dog, Snake... The animals flashed before him, pulling his attention to each in turn.

Horse, Tiger, Boar, Dog, Snake, Horse, Tiger, Boar, Dog...

...Snake. Infant Orochimaru smiled.

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Isn't this fun?


	2. Steady

Disclaimers apply.

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Tunk, tunk, tunk, tunk.

The empty, rhythmic sound of the ball hitting the ground was soothing to him. He was alone in the courtyard of his family's home, playing by himself.

A while ago he had been playing out in the street with a neighbor kid, but he'd fallen, scraped his knee and started crying. Well, not really crying so much as... well, anyway, big kids don't cry. And he most certainly was not.

But the neighbor kid had stupidly THOUGHT he was crying and promptly made fun of him for being a baby which only made him 'not cry' more. He'd run inside, leaving the other kid behind, regrettably also leaving his favorite ninja doll which was by now, as good as gone.

Tunk, tunk, tunk, tunk.

He caught the ball and held onto it, pressing against the tough, textured rubber with his fingertips. His grip tightened and he threw it as hard as he could against the trunk of a cherry tree. It bounced off and rebounded into a bundle of bamboo leaning against the porch. The bamboo toppled over and knocked into a watering can which in turn fell over and spilled the water onto an anthole, washing away the entrance.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

He walked across the gravel path and picked up the ball. He looked from it to the tree and then the bamboo, watering can, and anthole in turn.

Six-year old Orochimaru smiled and moved to set everything back up.

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I almost had him playing with dominoes… Maybe I should do another one.


	3. Go

Disclaimers Apply.

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He stood on a stool, adjusting the door so the eraser he'd wedged between it and the frame wouldn't fall out before it was supposed to. He hopped down and moved the stool back where it went. He joined his new teammates near the classroom window.

"Hey, you know that's not going to work." He glanced at the speaker, a kunoichi already growing into a woman's body. "Whoever our new sensei is, they're jounin. They won't fall for a childish trick like that." He ignored her.

"Ah, whatever," A loud voice came from the third member of the team. "All the better for me. If they don't, Creepy Boy over there," he nodded in the appropriate direction, "will owe me dango for lunch tomorrow." He grinned. "And if they do, it will at least be funny to watch."

The girl snorted. "Stupid boys."

Just then, the door opened and a head appeared. "Good after-" The new voice was cut off as the eraser landed on the speaker's head with a soft 'flumph' sound and a puff of chalk dust.

Thirteen-year old Tsunade and Jiraiya laughed. Orochimaru grinned.

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Jiraiya dared him, him if you didn't gather that. I don't think Oreo-Sama would be quite so… Naruto-ish on his own. And yes, I did borrow the goings on of Team-7-meets-Kakashi. Obviously. People do seem to like traditions in Konoha…


End file.
